Conventionally, a plurality of electrical devices are mounted to a hybrid vehicle (HV), an electric vehicle (EV), and a fuel cell vehicle (FCV). In a vehicle mounted with a rotating electrical machine, for example, connection between the electrical devices, like between a battery and an inverter, between the inverter and the rotating electrical machine (motor generator), and between the inverter and an electrical air compressor, are established using a power cable to which a high voltage is applied and through which a large current passes. When connecting the power cable to the electrical device, connectors are generally used. More specifically, the power cable and the electrical device are provided with connectors, which have shapes capable of mating with each other. The respective connectors as a male connector and a female connector have contact points for establishing electrical connection. When the male and female connectors are mated with each other, the contact points are connected to each other to achieve electrical connection (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-075557).
FIG. 4 shows in cross section a connection structure between a power cable and an electrical device. A female connector 301 is provided on a casing 303 side. A cable 302 is connected to female connector 301. Cable 302 is coupled to an electrical device, which may be a stator of a motor generator, for example.
A power cable 100 has an insulated wire 101 and a braided conductor 110 covering the periphery of insulated wire 101. Although one insulated wire 101 is illustrated, in the case where power cable 100 is to be connected to a stator of a motor generator or the like, three insulated wires of U-phase cable, V-phase cable and W-phase cable may be used. A rod-shaped electrode 102 bent into an L-shape is connected at a tip end of insulated wire 101, which electrode is sealed with a resin 103 to expose only a tip end thereof. With this resin 103, a cylindrical guide 104 is formed to surround the tip end of rod-shaped electrode 102. Rod-shaped electrode 102, resin 103 and cylindrical guide 104 constitute a male connector 105. When female connector 301 is mated with cylindrical guide 104 of male connector 105, electrical connection is established between male connector 105 and female connector 301.
The exposed portion of male connector 105 of power cable 100 is covered with a shield shell 201 from the standpoint of grounding braided conductor 110 to casing 303 of the device, and also from the standpoint of guiding power cable 100 in a prescribed drawing direction. Shield shell 201 is usually made of die-cast aluminum, since it should be rigid enough to guide power cable 100 in the prescribed drawing direction.
Shield shell 201 has its entire surface plated for the purpose of establishing electrical conduction between braided conductor 110 and casing 303. At the portion of shield shell 201 from which power cable 100 is drawn out, braided conductor 110 is guided to cover the relevant portion, and a ring-shaped member 210 is used to fix braided conductor 110 to shield shell 201 by caulking from the outer peripheral side of braided conductor 110. Shield shell 201 is securely fixed to casing 303 by means of a bolt 202 or the like.
To connect the power cable to the electrical device using the above-described shield shell, it is necessary to prepare a shield shell having a shape corresponding to the vehicle mounting condition (i.e., corresponding to the vehicle type), which would increase the manufacturing cost due to the necessity of integral molding using aluminum, plating of the surface and the like. Further, the braided conductor is secured to the shield shell by caulking, from the standpoint of working efficiency. However, since the shield shell is hard as it is made of die-cast aluminum, it is not possible to sufficiently fix the braided conductor to the shield shell, and thus, an adequate shielding effect cannot be ensured. Furthermore, in recent years, the length of the power cable has become longer in various vehicle types. With the single-piece shield shell as described above, it is necessary to pass the entire length of the power cable through the shield shell, which results in degradation of assembling workability.